The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

I transfered into Chapel Hill from a smaller school in the NC university system and it was quite a shock. The most important thing about UNC is that it's a really big school and you start out as just a number.

There are plenty of chances to define yourself and change from a number to a name (within your section of the university) but it is all up to you. Your professors will not reach out to you- you have to make all the effort to breakaway from the crowd.

The "rivalry" between in-state and out-of-state is a bit overdramatic. North Carolinians are proud of UNC, and for good reason. It's a challenging school with difficult subjects and professors that are extremely qualified (even if they are sometimes too into themselves). Being accepted as an NC resident is like a badge of honor for people from NC- we all know the cache it holds and honor it for that reason.Social life revolves around groups/clubs: sports (club sports are really popular too; you don't have to be on a varsity team), greek life, drama, work, music, etc. Find your hobby and then find your friends...

2nd Year Female -- Class 2003

Education Quality: A, Individual Value: D+

Your perception of this school will be determined by if you are an in-state or out-of-state student. Some in-state students see this university as being the greatest thing since sliced bread, many coming from small towns with no outside views of the real world. Then you have some in-state students that either like this university of hate it. And then you have out-of-state students like myself. Although I plan to transfer to another school after this semester, I will say that Carolina is a good educational value; however, it does not fulfill the challenge that I expected. There are lots of problems between in-state students and out-of-state students. The high school educational system in the state of North Carolina is not on par with high schools from other states. All of my classes are pretty easy, as I managed to obtain a 4.0 in taking 18 hours for my first semester and this semester is a breeze. However, I know that this is not the case with some of my classmates, nearly all are from North Carolina. Also, cheating is big for some reason, it is not like the classes are difficult. As far as my social life, a lot of the people here, consider anyone that comes from any state above the NC state line to be a Yankee, which is really irritating once you begin to hear it day in and day out. Also, I hate when people refer to me as a JAP, which I find really offensive. I hear it day in and day out and it is also irritating. I don’t go around stating that they are hicks and rednecks. People here are very judgmental. In some cases, mainly during basketball season, it seems as if the university tries to push athletics over academics. Chapel Hill is your typical college town; however, the nightlife is nothing to write home about. The bars nor the clubs are your typical “southern” hole in the wall joints that blast the same radio top 40 hits each weekend. You see the same people, hear the same music, and it gets old and minorities need not to try and get in, which has opened up another can of worms. Those from some Podunk town in this state find it entertaining and think they are in a big city. Frat parties are pretty good but also sometimes boring as well. Beer pong, drugs, and hook ups are frequent on and off campus. Overall, this university prides itself on propaganda, being the flagship of this state, and legacy. This university is a good value and well liked throughout this state, but I looking for a stronger/more challenging academics, and it just does not fit me. Good Luck to all those high school seniors that are about to graduate.

1st Year Female -- Class 2010

Campus Aesthetics: B, University Resource Use/ spending: F